Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the time made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
